PUSH ME TODAY TOWARD THAT PLAN GOD

The person with a PLAN is the person with the POWER.

If we set a plan we will get the history we deserve and the accomplishment and celebration!

 Jesus taught this in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:1-29.

We need to prepare to meet our future. When we prepare it drives us to move toward a goal.

The first part of Moving toward a goal is determining " A STARTING POSITION"

 In today's passage it spoke about individuals and described their starting positions. For example One person had 5 talents, to another two, and to another one. Each was given something according to their ability.

God has given us all special gifts and talents according to our ability and His purpose.

Some may be born in abundance others with less. But what we have does not matter, it's what we do with it that matters.

Life is not fair, but our STARTING CONDITION is irrelevant to our STARTING POSITION.
 I have a great example for you all...

I am a runner, however my starting condition may not add up to the other runners that I know. Another runner may be fit and in shape with a great runners body and abundant motivation and determination..
 Does that mean I should not pursue the goal of becoming a long distance runner?

 We both have the same STARTING POSITIONS at  each race.

How we train and pursue goals is what determines a runners ability to finish their race.

 I am not a fast runner with a lean and trim body but my condition and shape does not determine my starting position.
 The goals I set help me pursue the ability to complete my personal race and drives me to the Starting position.

 A Goal will Drive us and motivate us.

 We must determine our STARTING POSITIONS.

 I know God has entrusted me with the talents of writing and speaking because others in the body of Christ and in my sphere of influence has affirmed that talent in me.

 Now I can make a choice to BURY that talent due to fear, distrust, sin,  lack of faith and lack of resources but then I would allow my starting condition to rob me of my starting position.

If I bury my talent I can push Gods predetermined destiny away from my life.

 If we do not start at the starting line we cannot run the race.

 We need to show up at the STARTING POSITION and push past our fears and shortcomings.

Have you seen the down hill skiers or snowboarders starting position on the X Games? The hill is steep and long, looking rather scary but the individual SHOWED UP to his STARTING POSITION prepared to meet his future.

Do not procrastinate with your life friends, God has given you talents and goods with an expected future in mind so get moving!

.God expects us to use what we have been given.

 If you do not know what God has given to you, I urge you to ask Him to show you the abilities and your starting position.

Step up to the plate and watch God work in your life.

Do you already know your abilities/talents and remember the starting position in which God has called you to but maybe you have gotten off track with life?

 Have you failed to show up due to rebellion, fear, sin, distrust or hurt?

Ask God today to give you a push and jump start.

God knows your hearts desire and if you feel bad that you have buried those talents in the past then Gods grace will dig them up and allow you to SHOW UP AND START AGAIN!

The GRACE of God is what we need and today I am grateful for that!

Blessings love you friends!
Heather Baxter

BEAT OUR BODIES INTO SUBMISSION

I love to be an encourager, reminding people that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. But it wouldn’t be very loving of me if all I ever  told you was God loves you and has a big dream for you!
To grow in the Lord, you need balance.
Not just comfort and encouragement, but also clear instruction on what you must do to grow in your faith.
Remember from my last post STRONG is the new SKINNY!

Well discipline and self-control are not my favorite type of instructions!  Yet, without discipline and self-control, you’ll never achieve the dreams and goals God has planted in your heart, let alone live a life that glorifies Him.I have a whole chapter in my upcoming book that shares how we
"beat our bodies into submission" that even sounds scary!  I did not make that up its found in 1 Corinthians ch 9:24-27!

If you’re going to persevere and be the person God wants you to be, you must learn to practice discipline and self-control.We need to learn to beat our bodies into Gods plan for our life! I dont know about you but that does not sound easy! In todays world we think we can enjoy everything with no self control or discipline. Well I dont think thats the way God created us!

Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (NLT).

There is nothing more wonderful or comfortable than having grown in God to a place where you are at peace with Him in every area of your life. Learning to live with discipline and self-control brings beauty and peace which exceeds the short-term thrill of living without boundaries or accountability but thinking that's the fun life!

There is nothing worse than waking up with a guilty conscience, knowing there’s something unsettled between you and God.
Boy I dislike that feeling but then again its a reminder that the spirit is alive and well in my heart! 
 The only way to settle things with Him is by learning to say “no” to the things that poison your life, and sticking with people and situations that contribute to your spiritual well being.

 Understand that God has put those people and situations in your life to polish you and mold you into the image of Christ.
 
I struggle with learning self-control because my willpower is poor!  However in  John 15:5 it says we can’t do anything apart from God. willpower happens only when God is in the middle.

If God is dealing with you about your behavior and attitudes, instead of brooding because you can no longer get away with the things you once got away with, you should rejoice. That’s the Holy Spirit coming alive inside you.


STAY COMMITTED

 
Here are 3 training tips to ponder today to help you become the runner God has intended you to be!

Align with God’s Will

God has planted a seed in your heart and it’s growing. Believe that God is working in your heart to make you want more of what He has for your life than just getting your own way. You can water that seed by seeking Him with your whole heart. The more you pray, study and read the Word, the more you will see the positive results of doing the right thing, which will make you want to do even more right things.
You have everything you need, in Christ, to be what you need to be. Commit to bringing your life under God’s discipline and authority. Ask Him to help you live a life aligned with His will. It may be hard at first, but stick with it and I promise you will experience deeper peace than you ever knew when you were living only for yourself


GIVE THE BROKEN TOES TO GOD

God never said to quit! We need to take the pain and discover a new muscle that God is strengthening! I worked out really hard the last two days and some of my body parts are in pain! I feel the pain in muscles I have not targeted in awhile. When we go through broken toe areas in our life it does not mean we run away and leave things broken. We hand what is BENT over to God and He fixes what we claim is BROKEN! Christ came to heal everything that appears broken!
Now to hang on to this thought in an angry situation takes self control and discipline! lets look at number 3.

MAKE A GOAL A VISION
I find it much easier to exercise self control and discipline if I have a log. I write down what could and should be according to the ways of God. I may be far away from reality but when I jot a goal for the day I am moving forward in alignment to Gods will. I will have a whole chapter coming in the new book about how to make a goal a vision and how we press on to the mark! Again stay connected to the blog this summer and I will be sharing bits and pieces of this book!


Have a Blessed day!

STRONG IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF WEAK

HELLO FRIENDS! 

I know its been a long time since I blogged. I have been diligently working on a book project s due out by fall/winter.While writing, I am still playing taxi, chef, maid, wife, mom and dogs best friend! I am not complaining, I  love every bit of it but writing placed in the mix of things can make for some crazy days! 
I  plan to blog again full time by mid summer. I am very excited to share this book/study with everyone very soon  The book is called " Run In Such A Way" we will break down 1 corinthians 9:24-27 which states...

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

This fall I will offer the study online for those interested. Be on the look out for some great things. I just wanted to touch base and share the visions of things to come.
I will also be running my second marathon in October 2013 so I am sure you will hear about those training runs in the months to come!

Lets do a quick little devotion together!

Think about this verse with me:
" let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus."
Hebrews 12:1-2

In the race of life, the joy of knowing Jesus is what its all about!

Life's tests are worth the sweat, tears, training, and straining. Even when you think the next breath just might be your last due to the difficulty, mentally picture yourself  pulling your head up, and keeping your eyes on the prize.

"When I see the vision God has for my life, even as I am mired in the mundane, I can keep running. When I see the tapestry of life, even as I live on the edge of a frayed thread, I can keep trying. "


But inevitably, my head gets heavy with the weight of the worries or problems. My head droops even as I "will it" to look forward.
When I run my legs get so tired and sore and full of weight that I just want to stop and quit... This is when I need to  tell myself, "Keep going, you can do it!"

My race friends cheer me on,  reminding me to keep my chin up. Yet my head drops, full of doubt and fear.

We all hit WALLS in life.
I will be spending a whole chapter in the book on our HUMPS in life.
Whether it be our marriages, family relationships, fiances or careers. We HIT those ugly humps!

You and I have so many opportunities to feel sad or discouraged leading to a bad attitude, but God wants us to stay strong in Him. Those who do this will eventually come out on top, because there’s no way the enemy can hold you  back if you will trust God and keep your hope in Him.

Train yourself to Trust Your Helper

Not only will God deliver you, but He will also sustain you while you’re waiting for your breakthrough. He keeps us strong while we’re waiting and keeps us from going under!

Even when we’re tempted to think, It’s not going to do me any good to pray after the way I’ve acted, we can’t let that stop us from asking for God’s help. Why is that? Because when we go to the Father in prayer, we don’t go in our name…we go in the name of Jesus.
When you’re hurting, in trouble, or WAITING IN A MUDDY MESS you need to believe that your help has been sent out from heaven and it is on the way. God may not come early, but He won’t be late.

No matter what your circumstances look like or what the world may say, hang in there. Because help is on the way!

During my long runs I will be praying for marriages and families, let me know if you need prayer for your humps! I need something to pray about while running all those long miles. Let me take your humps to Jesus my friends!

Again, the enemy wants us to HIT the wall and stay down.
I pray when we do HIT those walls, we get back up even stronger with Gods help.

 I know its hard and you just want to give up but tell yourself that...

YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHOM STRENGTHENS YOU PHILIPPIANS 4:13


"strong is what happens when you RUN out of weak"N

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY!

Running with you my friends,
heather@hbministries.com

Love and blessings, 

OUR FAMILIES LENT PROJECT

OUR JOURNEY TO THE TREE...


Family Easter Tree

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ Ann Voskamps POST ON LENT.SHE HAS INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS TREE!  
WOW, SHE INSPIRED ME TO EMBARK ON NEXT 18 DEVOTIONS THAT WILL LEAD TO EASTER DAY!
ANN'S POST WILL INCLUDE EACH OF THE 18 DEVOTIONALS ALONG WITH A CUT OUT PICTURE FOR YOUR PERSONAL FAMILY EASTER TREE..

EACH PICTURE TAKES YOU ON A JOURNEY WITH JESUS TO THE TREE AND THEN THE FINAL VICTORY ON EASTER SUNDAY.

JESUS WANTS THIS JOURNEY TO BE ALIVE AND PERSONAL IN YOUR LIFE!

AS A FAMILY WE WILL TAKE EACH DEVOTION AND LISTEN TO HIS WORD AND LINGER OVER THAT WORD DURING DINNER. YES, OF COURSE WE HAVE A BUSY LIFE WITH EVERYONE'S SCHEDULE BUT WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN SOMETIME DURING THE WEEK!
MOM CREATES THAT MOMENT! LOL!  
WE THEN LIFT UP THAT SPECIFIC WORD IN PRAYER AND CHALLENGE EACH OTHER TO TAKE THE WORD AND THINK OF A WAY TO LIVE IT OUT THE NEXT DAY.

WE HAVE 18 DIFFERANT PICTURE SCENES THAT MATCH A VERSE OR PORTION OF SCRIPTURE FOR THE TITLE OF THAT DEVOTION. ONCE WE HAVE DISCUSSED THEM WE HANG THEM ON OUR EASTER TREE. LAST YEAR WE ONLY COVERED 9, SO THIS YEAR WE WILL FOCUS ON THE OTHER HALF!

I THEN WRITE THE VERSE AND THE TITLE ON OUR FAMILY CHALKBOARD IN THE KITCHEN SO WE CAN SEE THE "TRIAL TO THE TREE"

I WILL POST OUR LENT DEVOTIONS ON THIS BLOG DURING THIS SPECIAL SEASON WITH HOPES TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO SEE GODS AMAZING GRACE, EXPERIENCE HIS PRESENCE AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO LIVE OUT HIS WORD AND FEEL FULLY ALIVE THIS EASTER!

I PRAY GOD SPEAKS TO YOU AND REVOLUTIONIZES YOU IN AMAZING WAYS!

TODAY I MADE ANOTHER ENTIRE COPY OF THIS 18 DAY EASTER DEVOTIONAL AND PLACED THE COPY IN MY GIRLS TREASURE BOXES SO THEY MAY DO THIS WITH THEIR FAMILIES SOMEDAY.

THE DEVOTION AND BOOKLET

BEFORE GETTING STARTED ON TODAY'S DEVOTION I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THIS UNIQUE BLOG WHICH I WROTE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. THIS POST SHARES OUR FAMILIES VIEW AND IDEAS FOR A GREAT TIME OF FOCUS DURING LENT.


TODAY WE WILL READ: GENESIS 22:1-14

KEY POINT:"THE RAM IN THE THICKET"


TAKE MINUTE AND READ THE WORD ABOVE, A LINK HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVIENANCE
LISTEN TO THE WORD ABOUT THE "RAM IN THE THICKET" AND LINGER OVER WHAT GOD MAY WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU.

God's provision is always there.

The longer we live the Christian life, the more we tend to see His faithful answers in the midst of hard situations.

He will never fail the person who puts his whole trust in Him.
Romans 10:11 promises us, "Whoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed."Getting through difficult circumstances is almost always costly to our faith.
It often seems as though we are hanging on by our fingernails, and it is a very uncomfortable feeling!

Abraham must have felt like that.
Think about His fear and anxiety as he walked His son to the alter to sacrafice in obedience to God. God may call us to steep and difficult demands but He will always provide beyond our understanding!

But he chose to believe the promise God had spoken to him. Hebrews 11:17-19 says of him, "It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.' Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death …."God came through for Abraham by providing a ram in the thicket.

What will He do for you?

Trust Him to "see to it," and He most assuredly will provide your answer, too.

GOD HAS A PLAN, STAY FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT MY FRIEND. GOD SEES YOUR FEAR AND ANXIETY. CHOOSE TO LAY IT DOWN AND KEEP POSITIVE BECAUSE GOD WILL PROVIDE A RAM IN THE THICKET FOR YOUR SITUATION,

BLESSINGS,

DO NOT GIVE UP

STAY FOCUSED AND DON'T FALL OFF THE HORSE!

C O M M I T M E N T moves past the mind and emotions and goes stright to the will.

Life gets challenging for me and I have a hard time staying committed, if you feel the same then I promise you will be given great tools today to stay focused!

in the book of Acts we see STEPHENS commitment in his words and attitudes.
Stephen had the presence of God in his life, based his commitment on biblical foundation, he saw error in past thinking, spotted resistance, kept his eye on Jesus, the truth and maintained perspective!

I want to be more like Stephen because he was determined to experience the WILL of God for his life and displays an unwavering commitment no matter what!

The "WILL" of man is like a cart pulled by two horses. Their names are MIND and EMOTIONS. You must get both horses moving in the same direction to move the cart forward. COMMITMENT results when your mind and emotions move forward, whatever the cost!

I have been examining my commitment in certain areas the past few weeks. Let me share a few

Examining my commitment to running and exercise goals
Examining my commitment to marriage and my spouse no matter what!
Examining my commitment to ministry dreams
Examining my commitment to Godly parenting
Examining my commitment to a Godly lifestyle

I truly desire to understand and stay on the path of Gods plans for my life...
But often my mind and emotions can begin to go in many other directions.

Am I the only one?


I have several friends come to ask me all kinds of questions like...

What is Gods plans for me? How do I even get moving forward in the plans?

I wonder who God has for me as a mate and when I will find him?

What will I be when I get older?

What is going to happen with our finances?

My husband was just diagnosed with cancer what will the outcome be?

I hope to find the perfect job?

Our marriage is struggling and not sure that I can continue on

I lost my job

C O M M I T M E N T IS THE ANSWER
I believe our answers will come together when we focus on the mind and emotions, our two horses!
We have to train these horses my friends!
Now as we all know horses are very strong animals, yet very trainable.
So in the same way is our minds.
1 peter 1:13 it tells us to gird up our minds. We have to discipline our minds by taking all loosely flowing thoughts, speculations and opinions and train them to be in the same MIND which was in Christ Jesus.




Many times a HORSE must be harnessed with bit and bridle controlling the horse to move forward. It is used to put pressure points on specific areas of the horse so the direction of the horse can be controlled. The horse then moves in a forward direction as the rider pulls on the reigns!


I am so in need of the bit and bridle to train my mind!
One pressure point is in the mouth and it helps the horse to stay moving with control in a forward motion. The word of God to me is a huge pressure point to keep me moving forward.
I feel the reigns tugging at my heart and adjusting me accordingly, so I stay moving forward with HIS thoughts and plans. The bridle on my head, another pressure point helps me stay focused.
I am often lead in different directions from family, friends, old habits, attitudes, emotions and more.
Just as a horse can get SPOOKED so can we!

Things come in our pathway daily that make us question life sometimes, we can have that fight and flight mentality too! BUT WITH GOD pulling on our reigns we regain control!
We need to trust the rider of our life.
A horse learns to gain trust in their rider . Just as we need to gain trust in the plans God has for us. Many just need to understand that God really has a great plan no matter how messed up life may be.


Stay COMMITTED and trust your rider! If we cannot begin to trust and grow in a relationship with Jesus our rider and owner, we will never move forward into the DREAMS God has for our lives!


Do you desire to move forward into Gods great purposes?

The questions on the pathway of life that we don't understand will SPOOK us but remember to train your minds to trust the owner!

Ephesians 4:23 "be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the NEW man which was created according to God."

Let me share 6 principles for developing commitment

1. Commitment starts in the heart
Look deep inside and examine where your heart is committed

2. Commitment is TESTED by action
Talk is cheap and action is expensive

3. Commitment opens the door for accomplishment
Once you commit yourself, all kinds of resources and help will come your way to help you succeed!

4. Commitment can be measured
Look over the day a see how you stayed committed

5. Commitment enables you to make decisions and SET BOUNDARIES
Gods word will help with decisions and boundaries.

6. Commitment flourishes with public accountability
Go public with your commitments, then you will have incentive to follow through.
Blessings

DISBELIEF IS LACK OF SUPPORT! "MOVE ON"

Have you ever experienced a time of struggle because of others disbelief?

Do you desire to be positioned in the best place possible in 2013 in order to possess all the promises God has purposed for your life?

Gods destiny for your life will be COMPLETE, PERFECT, SATISFYING AND FULL IN 2013!

However, a time will come in which God needs to reposition you so that he may COMPLETE and PERFECT your destiny.
God desires to keep you satisfied and full in your season, lacking nothing until He completes His perfect work.



A sign or symptom in your life that represents a possibility for the need to move or change is UNBELIEF from others.

We can have off seasons in our marriages, relationships, families, jobs and ministries. During those seasons God may want to reposition you amongst NEW FACES or NEW PLACES.
When I say reposition it does not necessarily mean He is taking you completely out or away from your circumstances (like your marriage for instance) but placing you in NEW environments that stretch you to see His promises from another view.

Many times we stay in the circumstance or situation and its surrounded by disbelief.


DISBELIEF is LACK OF SUPPORT and many times others will "not support" the faith we need to have.

Lets look at today's word: Matthew 13: 58


Jesus said "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and his own house, Now He did not do mighty works there because of their unbelief."



The people closest to Jesus in His hometown including family and friends did not believe in Him or His powers to heal and perform miracles. Jesus needed to move away from that environment.


Others disbelief and lack of support can and will distract us from allowing God to fullfill His calling in our life.

Disbelief is a STUBBORN refusal to believe, a REJECTION to believe God is up to something wonderful in which He placed in your heart.

When we are surrounded by people with disbelief it hinders the work of faith in your personal life.


In this passage of scripture the others lack of faith hindered Jesus and He did not perform because of their unbelief.

Did Jesus stay in that place of unbelief or did He leave and join God where He was at work?


If you look at Mark 6:6 it states that Jesus MARVELED at their unbelief and THEN... HE LEFT AND WENT ABOUT TO OTHER VILLAGES in a circuit of teaching!


WOW what a lesson we can learn!

Jesus did not let others disbelief keep Him while missing the miracles God wanted to perform through Him.
Jesus was sure of what He hoped for and certain of what He did not see.


Friends don't let allow your circumstances and the lack of others support dictate your destiny!

MOVE ON!


If you stay stuck in the ordinary it will be impossible to experience the extraordinary powers of God.

Disbelief of others will HOLD YOU BACK.


STEP AWAY and realize God has a grand plan. Trust Him and allow him to REPOSITION you.


Maybe God has a new group of friends for you this year?

How about a New church home?

Possibly a new small group instead of the same friends closest to all the details in your life?


When we move to NEW places God arranges NEW revelations that will SUPPORT what He has already planned.


Do you ever get with family or friends that have disbelief in what Christ is doing in your life?


Do you have others that experience fear around you because they are not comfortable with how God is working in your life?

Do others get jealous and push you away?


DO YOU MARVEL AT OTHER UNBELIEF YET KNOW GOD HAS PROMISED YOU SOMETHING SO SPECIAL?


Friends, please do not give up and doubt Gods powerful work in your lives. Allow Him to reposition you.


After REPOSITION comes more POSSESSION.


If you do not allow Him to transition you, it may be the difference between experiencing a DEAD END or a fulfilled DESTINY.


He has a plan for all your DREAMS!


Jesus moved passed the disbelief and God took Him into many NEW PLACES with NEW FACES.

Take a moment to journal your prayer, plan and praise from today's reading.

Blessings,

HOW TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEW YEAR AS A FAMILY

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

 

 

 

BENJAMIN WRITING

 

 

BRITTNI BUSY WRITING

 

 

ALIVIA PEN AND PAPER IN HAND

 

 

ALIVIA'S GOALS/PLANS FOR 2013!

 

BRITTNI PONDERING HER GOALS

 

 

MY SUMMARY OF THE LAST FEW YEARS BEFORE I START THIS NEW YEAR!

 

 

2013

 

ONE DOOR CLOSES...ANOTHER OPENS!

 

I pray God leads the Baxter family to the edge of some cliffs this year. We need to learn to trust Him fully and let go!

 

I also pray the same for you!

 

I have always instilled into my family that the Lord has a huge plan for us as a family and for us individually.

 

God desires for us to DREAM= a desire in your heart for more of what God has for you!

 

God has a longing for each of us. When we just take the time to write goals and visions for the year we allow God to help us organize our thoughts... which are really His thoughts.

 

Then when the time is divine we can embrace and pursue the open doors through out the New Year.

 

God has placed within our hearts a perfectly-fit God sized dream and this is part of our life purpose. This purpose will lead to more joy, meaning and hope in our lives.

 

I tell my family that everyone has a GOD-SIZED dream. If you think you don't you just haven't discovered it yet.

 

I think its important to keep a log of goals and desires as a family. This allows us to communicate with one another and most importantly God.

 

Communication opens the doors to New opportunities.

 

This past weekend every family member had a chance to share some goals and visions they desire in certain areas of their life.

 

My husband and I still stand amazed at the opportunities and needs that became very clear after this vision meeting time!

 

The Lord showed us needs, desires and plans to grow more successfully into His will as a family and individually in 2013.

 

My son shared a desire to really know God more this year and not just go through the actions but to experience God in very real ways for himself. My husband  decided that night that they should start a weekly bible study together to help them grow together in this new season of desires for Ben.

 

I was able to share my personal goals of writing and publishing my first bookstudy for women by June 2013. I was also able to discuss more of my ministry visions to the family. Sometimes they only see mom doing the "mom things" but never understand what goes on with my own personal desires. I am excited for my kids to see more opportunities open for me as I travel and speak more in 2013 at my church and many other churches and or events.

It feels good to speak this to the family.

 Especially on days when I am writing silently all day for this book to come to pass! I am glad I shared the vision because the celebration will be that more exciting as a family.

 

My husband shared his desire for us to pursue the Financial Peace class as a family to learn to budget and handle our gifts of money better in all areas of our life. This class will start end of January!

 

My daughter Britt shared her desire to RUN more this year! I pushed her to run 3 miles with me this past weekend!

Oh of course when you share goals we then as a family can push each other toward a plan of action!

 

Alivia shared her favorite bible verses from 2012 and also many favorite memories and ended with her goals and challenges for 2013.

 

Lastly, we discussed how to LOVE better as a family! We tend to get a bit harsh with each other so we decided to try to relate and take a bigger part in each others lives this year and really care for that persons needs instead or our own.

 

My Pastor Brad Powell stated this:

 Without unity...marriages, families, businesses, communities, churches, nations...fall apart. Sound familiar? This seems to be the norm in our world today.

Unity requires unselfish commitment...the willingness to surrender self-interest for the good of others...for the good of the whole. No wonder most relationships in this world are falling apart. We're a world devoted to self-interest...not unity...devoted to getting for ourselves not sacrificing for others,

 

We need to take time to learn about each other this year as a family. How about you?

 

I love to see my children LEARN to write goals down.

The lord teaches us in Habakkuk chapter 2:2 to write down the visions (goals) make them plain on paper and then run with them in the year to come.

 

Writing things down allows God to send you revelations to match your desires. When you hear and discuss goals from everyone in the family then as a team you can help discern revelations for each other.

 

I feel as a mother this is very important in helping shape your children for their future.

 

This year will bring many victories along with many struggles. I pray that we can always reflect on our visions and goals throughout the whole year knowing God is working everything out for our Good.

 

I want to encourage you to have this time with your family. I handed each child a sheet a paper that was titled 2013 goals/plans. I gave them examples of areas to dream about.

Spiritual Goals

Physical Goals

Relational Goals

FAMILY GOALS

School Goals

Areas of their Gifting Goals

 

This really opened doors of opportunities and needs! Have fun and don't miss the opportunity to HEAR God in your family.

 

Lastly, I have a few worksheets below to step it up in your personal life.

I challenge you to DREAM LOUDER and BIGGER with God this year!

A more effective door will spring open if you take the time to focus, learn and listen.

 

Here is HOW TO: DREAM BIGGER:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dream Big Friends

 

 

 

 

 

LIFE IS ABOUT THE ADVENTURE

Yes I am a Christmas season baby!

 

 

Christmas time is the appropriate season for suspense and anticipation, again that is what ADVENT means. Today I also celebrate my 40th birthday!

ADVENT=A sense of ADVENTURE

I feel as if the adventure in my personal life is just beginning. It has taken the last 40 years to get me in alignment to live the next 40 years  unwrapping a great big dream... a great adventure that will be!

My Dream:
I will publish a book /workbook study by June of 2013 and I will travel more and speak because I enjoy inspiring others in NEW great dimensions!

I love unwrapping presents and being surprised on Christmas morning or on my birthday...How about you? The suspense is already killing me with a few interesting boxes under the tree.

Today, I want you to grasp that your dreams are much like a present.

The NEW YEAR is right around the corner and it fills me with the feeling of suspense and anticipation as I begin to unwrap new surprises along the way in 2013 that match my dream.

God has your dreams wrapped up perfectly and He will allow you to unwrap a little at a time if you desire to walk with Him in 2013.

Your destiny and reason for living are wrapped up tightly in your dreams and desires, like the genetic information inside a seed. That dream in your heart contains your spiritual "DNA," the very blueprint for who you are.

Your dream is that idea, that vision for your life that burns inside of you--something you can't ignore for long. It keeps coming back to your mind because it is part of who you are; it will never leave you alone.

A dream doesn't drive you; it draws you.

It is like a big magnet that pulls you toward itself. I don't believe that there is a man or woman without a dream, because God designed every member of the human race to have dreams.
Without a dream, a person will be frustrated in the present and will miss his or her future.


Your dream did not even originate with you. It resides within you, God put it there. He is the source of your dream. When people dream without God, they find it hollow and unsatisfying. Every person must come to Jesus for his or her dream to make sense. In fact, without Jesus, you might follow a dream for your life that God never put in your heart.

God so badly wants to fulfill our expectations and dreams in 2013. Allow Him to teach you about your dream.

What a great challenge for 2013!


God wants us to see our life so badly through His eyes that He extends so much grace in our natural disasters.
I have to admit...I caused all my BIG DISASTERS and was so stubborn and head strong that it still was not enough to turn me to God. My disasters always came from my shortcuts that I designed into my life.


My personal shortcuts always appeared to be a way of speeding up DREAMS and EXPECTATIONS.
Many times a roadblock would appear in my life and quench the spark of my dreams and expectations.

Did you ever feel like a vision or dream has been abandoned or blocked?

The past  three years God has placed me on a fence and helped me gain NEW PERSPECTIVE.

He wanted me to put some dreams on hold.

Sometimes we can become so dream focused that we chase after it so hard and end up in places HE FORBIDS!

God wants you to step into the New Year with anticipation and great expectation. However, we have to Return to Him and deny all our shortcuts. I was so focused on Dreams at one point that I was unaware of how I was abandoning God.

When we return everything to God, He will bring a fresh perspective and NEW chances.
If God has birthed that vision in your heart, chance are you have already began exploring.

But in order to:
END UP IN THE RIGHT PLACE ON PURPOSE,
we have to maintain our relationship with GOD first.

He feeds the quality and destiny of the vision.
If we move ahead the vision will again evaporate and we will be left in another natural disaster.


I pray that you walk into 2013 with a heart of anticipation and expectation to Grow in your love for God.

This may mean you will be surrendering more, getting involved in more and stepping out your comfort zone.

When God moves its more POWERFUL then any shortcut.

Your dream is fragile, so thank God for the NEW CHANCES and CHANGES HE will bring in 2013!


Three years ago today, God asked me to lay down and surrender many things.

God has been changing and rearranging my life a lot in those past 3 years

New friends
New church
New opportunities
New possibilities
Fresh perspective on dreams
New schools for kids
New ministry opportunities

The connections and supernatural ways of God moved in so many amazing directions.
He will row the boat and then ask you to step out when the timing is right and lines up with His vision for your life.

Will you allow God to row your boat in 2013?

I encourage you to STAY in THE BOAT, until He says "STEP OUT."

Enjoy the anticipation and expectation of this Christmas season.... BUT I challenge you to EXPECT and ANTICIPATE fresh vision for 2013.

Merry Christmas

BLESSING OR BARRIER

I would love to share this Great site for the new year!

I look forward to their devotions every morning from RBC ministries. 

Enjoy this word friends from RBC ministries!

RBC MINISTRIES

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Many . . . believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” —John 4:39

What did Jesus see when He looked at the woman at the well in John 4? He saw someone who wanted acceptance and desperately needed to know she was loved. Most of all, He saw someone who needed what only He could give—a new heart.

It was no accident that the disciples had all gone to town to buy food. Surely, they would have tried to warn Jesus not to talk to this person—a woman, a Samaritan, and someone with a bad reputation.

Not being one to follow protocol, however, Jesus used this encounter to bless her with the truth of “living water” (John 4:10). In just one conversation, He broke down barriers of old hostilities, of gender bias, of ethnic and racial divides. And this woman became the first of many Samaritans to confess that Jesus was the Messiah (vv.39-42).

When she told others of her encounter with a Man who knew “all that I ever did,” she was already practicing the principle of “sowing and reaping” that Jesus was teaching His followers (John 4:35-38). Many believed that day, and later Philip, Peter, John, and others would preach in Samaria and lead many more to Christ (Acts 8:5-14; 15:3).

When we tell others of our own “encounter” with Jesus, we bless them with living water. —Cindy Hess Kasper

From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me;
From shades of night to plains of light,
O praise His name, He lifted me! —Gabriel

A faith worth having is a faith worth sharing.

look for an opportunity this week to share truth, be a blessing not a barrier!

Blessings!